Cardinal Antonelli has, of course, protested against the act of
the Italian Government on entering upon Rome, and has declared the intention of the Pope to surrender no particle of his rights and to re-enter upon them as soon as the occasion shall occur. The Pope himself has also put forth a protest, in which he complains chiefly that as he has no longer uncon- trolled power over the post office, since the Italian Government cannot be trusted to convey his letters, he is "wholly destitute of the means of communicating" with his children which "the Vicar of Jesus Christ and the common Father of the faithful" ought to possess. This hardly seems a very terrible grievance. At least, it is one that a great number of the early Popes must have suffered from even more seriously. Cannot he despatch all his important ietters by Papal messengers, as the British Government does by Queen's messengers ? The Holy Father says not, because the .messengers leaving his palace are searched. Well, then, why not ask for the island of Elba, annex it to the diocese of Rome, and reside in Elba? He would still be Bishop of Rome, and would be completely independent, and the King of Italy would be only too glad to get in this way out of the scrape. Unless the Pope can first convert the world, he will not be able to satisfy men that Rome ought to be Papal against the will of its people and of the whole people of Italy. But he can convert the world as well from Elba as from Rome.
Previous page
